Shopping For Essentials

Sometimes if I really like/need something, I buy them in bulk. Stocked up on my favorite mascara, face wash, eye makeup removers and of course everyone uses cotton buds.

 I walked/jogged for 2.4 miles this morning and on my way back home I passed by the drugstore to just "browse". Ended up buying some lipbalm and eyeshadow. These were really inexpensive...

What did you buy for yourself today?

MAC Mini Haul

Had a few hours to myself today, went to get a facial/massage and then stopped by the MAC counter on my way back home to pick up some makeup. I got two lipsticks in Twig and Creme Cup, a lipgloss in Imperial Light and a black Liquidlast eyeliner that was an impulse buy. I might go back and get their Veluxe brow pencil, I don't really know why I hesitated to get it.

iPhone 5 Convert

After years of convincing from my husband,  I finally gave in and got an iPhone. I've been using Blackberrys for 6+ years and it's really hard to part with a keyboard that's for sure. Other than that, it's really the only thing that was holding me back, been an Apple fan for about 10 years now so I guess this switch is not too bad. I got the white one, I think it looks better for a girl :)

They had a bunch of cases at the Apple store but they were either too expensive or too plain. I finally settled on this teal polka dot case (around $35) even though there was this leather one I really like but for $50! that was a little too steep for me.

My Push Present

Behold my "push present"...

A lot of husbands get their wives expensive bags or nice jewelry for push presents, that seems to be the norm. I got a Kawai K2 :) I love it! Originally my husband was going to get the K15 which is a less expensive console model also from Kawai, but he thought why not just get a professional upright? That way we don't have to trade it in down the road for a better one. Plus I like that it has a soft fall system so when I start teaching Bettina to play when she gets older, her hands won't get hurt from the piano banging shut. My husband thinks of things like that :)

I've never heard of a push present before I got pregnant, I guess it's a fairly new thing. Technically, I didn't "push" coz I had a C-section but I think moms deserve to have a little something nice for bringing a baby to this world and for carrying him/her for 9 months. It makes sense to be rewarded for your efforts, hehe.

Changing Cars

We recently had to let go of our BMW 328xi coupe and exchange it for a bigger car. I was having a hard time with it coz it's too low and small and you can't really fit a baby in the back of a sports car so... My husband's not really happy letting go of this car but practicality wins.

So now we have a 2012 Honda CR-V. Looks exactly like the one in the picture below. It doesn't drive like a BMW but it's a great car so far. Definitely much more comfortable for us now that we're a growing family. We got it in the color "urban titanium metallic" which really is sorta brownish. My only requirement was safety and reliability, leather seats and bigger cargo space, so this was good enough. My husband wanted an AWD with better gas mileage. I talked him out of buying a luxury car because they're so high maintenance.
We're gonna do a long drive this weekend for camping (around 500 miles back and forth, maybe more). So relieved that we have much more space now for the things we need to bring.

Longchamp Haul

Did a lot of shopping, clothes, shoes, etc. and since it's also our 2nd year anniversary today, my husband treated me to a little something...

Got a limited edition Statue of Liberty in white. Yikes! I know I have to be really careful with it but it's so pretty, I fell in love... Anyway, here's the damage...
This better be worth it...

Scented Candles

I had to get small gift tokens for a couple of people the other day and was going to give boxed chocolate but then I found these...

Scented candles from Scentsational. Such a cool name for a candle company. Love that they are already packaged and ready to give away. They are natural soy candles with nice smells like Green Tea, Jasmine, Southern Magnolia, Tropical Paradise, etc.
Also got a candle for myself, flavor is Mint Leaves & Lime but this is from another company. Burning this baby right now...

This Week's Make Up Haul

I've been trawling for drugstore make up this past week just looking to try different products. I have a really simple beauty routine and I already know what stuff works well for me but I was in an adventurous mood so...

This mascara I've already had before and really liked so I repurchased :) The eyebrow pencil, also from Maybelline, I was intrigued because it was mechanical (no need for sharpening) and had a comb at the end (perfect for traveling, I don't need to bring a separate brow comb). However, the line it draws is quite thin, I like my HG Sonia Kashuk eyebrow pencil much better.
I don't normally like to use liquid foundation because for me powder is much faster and easier to apply. I have to say though, I quite like Maybelline's Super Stay Foundation. It's supposed to be long-lasting too (haven't proved it yet though) and very affordable. Nice medium coverage and the consistency I like better than MAC's Studio Fix Fluid.

Found this compact, Boots No 7, and I thought it was pretty so I got it. Wanted to find out if I could replace my trusty MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation. I was kinda disappointed. The powder settled into my fine lines and emphasized my pores :( It also had a weird fishy smell. Should have researched this one first before I bought. Good thing it wasn't that expensive.

I got this Milani eyeliner as I've heard a lot of good reviews about it. In summary it's like a cream eyeliner on a stick, so smooth to apply and the blackest black eyeliner I've ever tried. The downside is if you have oily lids it's definitely gonna run.

Lastly, I got a quad from Rimmel. I was gonna get two but decided to try this one first then purchase the other set of colors if I liked how this one turned out. It's ok, not very pigmented, a little shimmery and very powdery. It was also very inexpensive so I was not expecting much.

So that's it for my trial and error make up this week. Ahh, the beauty of being a woman... :)

The Body Shop Mini Haul

Passed by The Body Shop after work because I wanted to try their face sprays coz my MAC fix + ran out and I thought I'd try something new. Instead of getting just one thing I ended up with a few more purchases... Good thing they were on sale :)

These brushes are so soft and perfect for traveling! I got two of them. I really like that they don't shed, they're very dense and pick up a lot of product. I also love that it comes with its own travel pouch.
Got another lip product...
And finally, what I really set out to buy originally. I like the faint rose smell, it's really light. Works as well as MAC fix + when used as a setting spray, in my opinion.

Essentials Haul

So this is what I have been buying this week. Lotion, lotion, lotion. Hehe, my skin gets really dry during the cold months so I'm stocking up on these...

I got lotion from Lubriderm, Aveeno and Cetaphil - my favorite kind that is sort of hard to get and somewhat pricey. But I got these all on sale and believe it or not, we most likely will use this up in the next few months :) Also got Neutrogena moisturizer and makeup remover pads, Goody spin pins (I've heard so many good reviews about this I just had to try) and Seche Vite - everyone's favorite top coat.

I stock up on beauty/skin care products when they're on sale so I never run out of essential items like body wash, shampoo, toilet paper, etc. I'm also not really very picky so drug store brands are A-ok with me and I like it when I get a good deal.

Faux Leather Goods

It's officially shopping season, my favorite time of the year :) Got some cute things... First up a motorcycle jacket from Baby Gap for one of our inaanak. Freakin' cute! It kinda sorta matches my husband's black leather jacket (although his is definitely more expensive).

All the pockets are fully functional, love the details and stitching. The lining is awesome too. I want to buy one for our future son :)
I got this bag from Aldo. Nice and soft and smells so good...
More bags... Not as nice but not as expensive either :)
Oh! I have to do a post about a shoe I got recently. But that will have to wait till tomorrow. I'm finishing up my stuffed mushrooms and black bean stew for our dinner...

Early Christmas Gifts

Finally got around to buying stuff for ourselves... My husband had been wanting to get the new iPhone but it was always sold out. After a week of trying we got a reservation online and picked it up from the Apple store.

And I got an iPad 2 (yey!) with a pink Smart Cover too :) Ngayon, 'di na kami nagpapansinan coz we're both busy downloading apps like crazy...

One thing that peeves me though is the iPad has a crappy camera, you would think they'd give it a decent one for the price you're paying AND it doesn't support flash :( Should I have gotten a Samsung Galaxy tab instead? Or a Blackberry Playbook? Aaahhh!

Having A Little Fun In The Kitchen

Got these egg molds a while back, found them at a specialty kitchenware store. They are so cute and adorable - hard to use with eggs but perfect for pancakes.

Haven't gotten the hang of it yet but I will :)
Just add some butter, maple syrup and some banana slices - it'll make a pretty breakfast...

Electronic Haul

We have been frequenting our local electronic retailer to get some stuff for my husband's family. Got a Dell Inspiron laptop and Nikon Coolpix camera for my sis-in-law (who loves anything pink), a Nikon L120 for dad-in-law and Sony Cyber-shot for bro-in-law.

Hope they like our early Christmas gifts, in addition to the three balikbayan boxes that we already sent a while back.

Weekend Haul

Passed by the toy store again on our way back from camp and got a few things for the nieces. In addition to Barbie stuff [see earlier post] we also included some educational/learning games. I think that in addition to playing, kids nowadays should also be able to learn at the same time to develop their basic numerical and problem-solving skills. I especially want these girls to have that advantage to help them later in life.

Passed by MAC again and got a lipstick, foundation and blushes. If you're interested in the specifics: Lustre lipstick in Syrup [I love anything Lustre!], Pinch O' Peach blush, and Peachtwist blush.
Also got some stuff from Ikea but I'll just do that at a later blog post.

My Husband's Ugly Shoes

No amount of cajoling can convince this stubborn man that I married. He just had to have these fugly footwear brand that I've been trying to steer him away from for the longest time. But we are going camping this weekend and he really wanted to get it for camp. I gave up because if the one you love wants to get something he loves, what are you gonna do about it? I just let it go this time, hopefully he will only wear them for camp and it will get so dirty and disgusting that I would have to throw them away afterward...

I swear to add insult to injury he had to get jibbits, which are cute if, say, you were 4 years old and had crocs, but he's a grown man, it looks kinda stupid if you ask me. Gosh, it was so exasperating, we were in that store for more than an hour and he came up with a tennis ball [he plays tennis], a race car [he likes to watch F1 racing], a guitar [he plays too], etc, you get my drift. He says they're really comfortable. Honestly, I tried on a pair, they're not. My slippers from A&F were a lot softer and a lot nicer for much less money. But he seems to be really happy with this purchase so I can't stay upset at him and his fugly shoes...

I have to close off this post with something pretty. I just have to...

I wanted to get a new watch to replace my Guess Waterpro that just stopped working last week. I had a few requirements though: it needs to have a second hand, it needs to be lightweight, and it needs to be water resistant to some extent. So first we went to Swatch, I was surprised that they didn't have a lot of selection with my specifications. I did end up buying a blue one because it was the only one that I kind of liked.

So we walked around the mall some more, my husband got a few shirts and shorts from Banana Republic, then we dropped by another watch store and what do you know, I found a better watch for exactly the same price!
And it's in my favorite color too! I just had to have it so I bought it on the spot. The straps are rubberized, if you're wondering. Now my dilemma was I didn't like the Swatch watch anymore now that I had this pretty thing. So we went back to the Swatch store and I told the gay guy who sold me the watch that I found something better. He told me that sorry, the watch can only be returned for store credit or exchanged for something else. I was crestfallen. I didn't want a Swatch. So he goes to his manager and thank goodness he was so nice. He said since I just bought the watch an hour ago that he would void the transaction, he felt bad for not giving me my money back. I was so thankful and I told them so and also apologized for the inconvenience, they were really gracious about it. See, that's customer service for you.

Barbie Crazie

My husband's older brother has three girls ages 2-7 and they are crazy about Barbie dolls. I didn't really play with Barbies when I was a little girl, I was more like a tomboy back then and my choice of playthings were marbles [jolen], rubber bands [lastiko], and Legos. So it's a novelty to be buying stuff for our nieces...

The eldest one says she prefers the quintessential-looking caucasian Barbie so we got her two of those. I do think that the one of the far right has the best-looking face though. We also got them some wardrobe changes because Barbie can't be at the beach all the time :) Now is this fun or what? My paper dolls in 4th grade were nothing compared to this...
And... when Barbie needs to get around she can cruise in style on a pink convertible!
They didn't have the "Glam House" when we were in the store so I'll just get it some other time. I also saw the black label Barbie collectibles - they're so cute I want to buy them for myself! It seems a bit to late to be enjoying these dolls but I was deprived of the experience when I was young so I'm catching up now :)

Junk And Other Stuff

I have a confession. I love to eat junk food. :( I try not to do it all the time but every other day or so when I come home from work and there's nothing [healthy] to eat yet, I reach for the junk food cabinet...

I'm not much of a sweet tooth, I mostly crave savory or salty/spicy/vinegary (is that a word?). My husband can't relate to this, he doesn't eat chips of any kind. Out of all that assortment he would probably only touch the egg cracklets (top right). Oh well, more for me. I almost always do get a reminder from him to drink a lot of water right after imbibing in junk food to flush all those MSG out of my system. Good husband.

Speaking of food again, my husband takes breakfast and lunch to work and uses our leftover containers which I hate to wash when he comes home because he brings a lot of them. We are using these containers from Rubbermaid to store our leftovers. So I got him two kits from Fit & Fresh, one for breakfast and one for lunch. That way I don't have to wash so many things...
The Nalgene water bottles came in a two-pack and together they can hold 1.5 L of water, enough for his work day. He used to bring my pink 1L Nalgene and an alex water bottle. I kinda felt sorry for him coz they weren't "manly" enough. Hehe...

Passed by the drugstore also yesterday to pick up some dishwashing liquid and something for me :) I'm liking this flavor of Carmex and love that it's not in a squeezable tube, which gets kinda goopy and messy. The lip balm sticks are great, less hassle and more hygienic. Also, my nails are a little yellow because I've been wearing a lot of nail polish lately so I hope this nail whitener from Essie works. I was trying to find a product called Yellow Out but I couldn't find it. I forgot what brand it is, maybe Sally Hansen. Oh well, this will have to do for now.
I have to clean and organize our medicine cabinet later, we have been through that thing like a tornado recently and it's a mess. There might be some meds that need to be thrown out too...

Two Timepieces

My husband and I went to the mall recently to buy a watch for him. He already has three watches but they're all silver metal watches so he wanted to switch it up a bit. We stopped by Fossil first and after much deliberation decided to get the one below on the left.

So we were walking along happily after his purchase, he even wore the watch right out of the store. Unfortunately, we decided to pass by another watch store (I don't know why we didn't make that our first stop) and saw the Kenneth Cole one on the right. He was smitten and fell in love with it instantly, plus it was much cheaper than the first watch we bought. He ended up getting two watches on the same afternoon.

Mad About Soap

My husband and I are fans of foaming hand soap. Not only is it easier to use (no more slippery bars dropping into the sink), but I feel that it's also more hygienic. Personally, if I'm a visitor in someone's home, I don't like to use their bar soap coz I don't know how many hands have touched it... but that's just me.

Anyway, we stocked up on these anti-bacterial hand soaps from Bath and Body Works, in my opinion, they smell better. I don't really like super fruity flavors so we got the milder scents: eucalyptus mint, aqua blossom, kitchen lemon, coconut lime verbena, white citrus and summer escape. They do have dozens more of other flavors.